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The unexpectedly strong job creation in April was a welcome sign to economists that slow hiring over the winter appeared to be related to severe weather and not a harbinger of another downturn in the uneven recovery. But the economy probably can't sustain the 288,000 net new jobs pace, which included industries such as construction catching up on hiring after a winter lull, they said. And Friday's government report contained warning signs that the labor market is far from fully healed. "More than likely April was a bit of a rogue month," said Brian Bethune, chief economist at Alpha Economics Foresights. The top-line number -- the best monthly job creation since...

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The unexpectedly strong job creation in April was a welcome sign to economists that slow hiring over the winter appeared to be related to severe weather and not a harbinger of another downturn in the uneven recovery.
But the economy probably can't...

WASHINGTON — The labor market heated up last month, producing a bumper crop of 288,000 new jobs — the most in more than two years — and easing fears that a winter slowdown in hiring foreshadowed another downturn in the uneven recovery.
The surge in...

Los Angeles-area home prices in May posted their smallest gain in more than a year, mirroring a slowdown nationally, a closely watched report said.
The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller index of home prices, released Tuesday, said prices across L.A. and...

The disappointing 142,000 net new jobs added to the economy in August -– the second straight month of slower growth -- appears to be an anomaly and is not reason to panic that the recovery is faltering once again, economists said Friday.
Although...

Job growth wilted in August to 142,000, ending a six-month hiring hot streak with the worst performance of the year. But economists cautioned that it was not yet time to panic.
The report from the Labor Department on Friday was a major disappointment....

It might seem like a paid vacation for the 500,000 federal workers on furlough.
They've been out of work since last week and were promised back pay once a budget is passed and the government reopens.
But for many rank-and-file employees who live...

WASHINGTON -- A difficult task awaits Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke when he faces the TV cameras Wednesday in his quarterly news conference.
He has to try to reassure investors, analysts and politicians that the central bank has a plan for...

WASHINGTON -- The top-line number in the August jobs report was roughly in line with expectations, but economists digging into the details Friday saw bad signs that could give Federal Reserve policymakers concerns about reducing their stimulus efforts...

WASHINGTON — It was two steps forward, one step back last month for the sluggish labor market.
A modest net gain of 169,000 jobs in August combined with a large downward revision for the previous two months to raise new doubts about whether the economy...

Consumers shelled out 0.2% more for retail purchases in December than in the previous month, the government said, with the final tally of the holiday season showing a solid, if unexceptional, performance.
Shoppers braved bitter cold in much of the...

After two years of depreciation, home prices edged up 0.2% in the third quarter compared with the previous quarter, according to a report released today. California led the way with a 2.1% increase, according to data compiled by forecasting and ...

The U.S. service sector grew in January for the first time since September but is still lagging behind the manufacturing industries, according to a report released Wednesday. A gauge of performance in non-manufacturing businesses reached 50.5 from 49.8, accord

Several big banks familiar on the California retail scene -- including Wells Fargo, Chase and US Bank -- may soon be deemed strong enough to pay out more of their profits to shareholders. It will be interesting to see how ...